This Is The Ideal Meal To Make When It's Too Hot To Cook

While I am definitely something of a kitchen wizard, I do have my limits.

As we are approaching scorching temperatures and the summer that was due, uh, two months ago, I know for a fact that I won’t be spending my evenings cooking up a storm like I usually do.

Hot weather + hot kitchen = a literal meltdown in my home.

Instead, I opt for salads or ‘picky bits’. Picnics for tea whenever possible because if there’s anything that is a crowd-pleaser, it’s these dishes.

This summer though, there’s one dish I can see myself returning to many, MANY times. 

It’s a heatless salad, meaning that at no point will I be cooking ingredients (woohoo!) but also that the taste profile is created very differently.

This is because using acidic ingredients like citrus juice to “cook” thinly sliced vegetables enhances their texture and flavour. 

Yum.

The no-cook summer salad recipe I’m obsessed with

This recipe comes direclty from Sophie Nahmad, Gousto’s Lead Recipe Developer and is entirely vegan.

Nahmad said: “We’ve crafted this heatless heatwave recipe to be both fun and functional.

“It’s perfect for when you want to enjoy a meal that’s light, fresh, healthy, and keeps you cool during the hottest days of summer.”

I’m in.

Ingredients: 

• 400g mixed veg 
• 1 tsp fennel seeds 
• ½ tsp chilli flakes 
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 60ml citrus juice 
• 1 red chilli 
• Salt and pepper 

Method:

• Step 1 Finely slice your vegetables into strips
• Top tip: use a peeler to cut your veg as thinly as possible
• Step 2 In a small bowl, combine olive oil, citrus juice, chilli flakes and fennel seeds. Season with salt and pepper and give it a good mix. This is your citrus marinade
• Step 3 Toss your veg into a mixing bowl and pour over the marinade. Mix the lot together thoroughly to make sure all of the vegetables are coated
• Step 4 Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes to allow the citrus marinade to work its magic. Serve sprinkled with finely sliced red chilli